March Madness 2025
The Bears are currently .500 against the top three quadrants. A win over the Mountaineers would be an important addition to their Tournament case.
Head coach Scott Drew implemented a 1-3-1 zone defense against No. 6 Houston in the wake of a starting center Josh Ojianwuna’s season-ending knee injury. It was a rocky debut, but nevertheless offered some reason for optimism.
The Cougars attempted 15 more shots than the Bears, taking advantage of easy baskets. Houston scored 44 combined second-chance points and points off turnovers.
The first-year starter announced the news Sunday afternoon on his Instagram. He was averaging career-highs in points (7.4 per game), rebounds (6.4) and shooting percentage (77.4%).
Saturday was supposed to be the Bears’ first healthy game since December. But five minutes in, starting center Josh Ojianwuna went down with a knee injury.
“I’m not afraid to say I was really, really offended by the article that came out,” Collen said. “And I didn’t read any of it. … Don’t know what happened. Didn’t read the article. But nothing is withering in Waco. … And we’re going to do it our way. And it’s going to be just as good.”
Rooted in an underdog mentality, it was seemingly No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball versus the world. Despite trailing by six at halftime, the Bears hit seven of their next nine shots and had No. 1 seed USC on the ropes. However, Baylor missed its first eight shots in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Trojans to stomp back and end the Bears’ run in the Sweet 16 by a score of 74-70 on Saturday at the Moda Center.
“I feel like there’s no pressure on us,” senior guard Sarah Andrews said. “The pressure is on the other team. We’re the underdogs. We have nothing to lose, but we have a lot to gain.”
Following the second-best start to a season in program history (14-0 start through Jan. 6), No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball hit turbulence.. Through a cold streak in which they lost six of their next 10 games, the team stayed positive and rallied back to find itself in the Sweet 16 for the first time under head coach Nicki Collen. Now, the Bears will clash with No. 1 seed USC at 4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Moda Center.
She may be the smallest on the court at times, but 5-foot-7 junior guard Jada Walker had the biggest impact on Sunday. Walker poured in a career-high 28 points — highlighted by a crucial and-one layup with 19 seconds to go — and No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball escaped No. 4 seed Virginia Tech 75-72 in the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.
